Just Laugh and Stare
by iShip Seddie
Summary: It's been a year since Sam has left Seattle. One day, an unexpected visitor knocks on her door. What will happen? This takes place during Sam & Cat. Rated T.


**Hey, guys. I know I have a story to update, and I'm sorry for the incredibly long wait. But I do have two excuses. One, I just graduated from eighth grade, and I've been busy with all the parties. Two, the Seddie arc has been on TeenNick for a few days last week, and that just made me sad. So I took a break from I writing chapters for my story. Sorry, again.**

**Anyway, in the midst of my Seddie arc depression, I decided to write this little oneshot. You'll find out what happens once you read. Hopefully you guys like it, because I worked really hard, and I'm actually happy with it. Review and let me know what you think!**

**One last thing. You'll notice in this story that the word "you" is used A LOT. I just wanted to inform you that the "you" in this story is Sam. And, I don't know if this is third-person POV, so don't judge me. :) Enjoy!**

It's been a while. A while since you've been with the people you love most. It's been a year, to be exact. A year since you've witnessed the usual Seattle rain. A year since you've been to Ridgeway High School, the Groovy Smoothie. A year since you've seen all those familiar faces you'd thought you were sick of, but just recently found out you never could be.

You miss it. You'll never admit it, but you do. Deep down inside your heart, you miss it. This feeling of sudden need is something you never thought would come over you. Ever. What is it about that place that's 1,200 miles away? You think about this a lot, always wondering what it could be. But you know what it is.

_Him_.

That's right. _Him_. _He_ is what is making you long for your old home. _He's_ there. _He's_ been there for the past year, probably looking for you. No one knows where you are, except your mother, your sister, and your best friend. And you're not afraid of them telling anyone, because they can't. Your mother is probably too drunk to even remember you told her, your sister is miles away from Seattle at some Ivy League college, and your best friend is halfway around the world, in Italy. Even though she isn't a good secret-keeper, she wouldn't tell anyway. You made her ankle-swear over video-chat. That traps her every time.

Okay, back to him.

There are multiple hims. Four of them, actually, but only one is the real him. Only one. One.

First there's T-Bo, the creepy but funny owner of the Groovy Smoothie. He sells random foods on sticks. He obviously has a life, but it's never been all that exciting. You love him like an uncle; he's always been there for you, and you've always been there for him. Yes, he creeps you out, but he's cool.

He's _definitely_ not him.

Then there's Spencer, your best friend's crazy but lovable older brother. You love him like your own. He loves you, too. He's always cracking jokes and making you laugh, one of the reasons you developed a "tiny crush" on him two years earlier. (Just the thought of that now makes you want to gag). He's called multiple times within the past year, showing he cares about you. You have friendly conversations, but your location always remains a secret. He always says he wants you home, and that makes you happy. He tells you he misses you, and you tell him the same, also telling him you'll be back.

But, he's not him, either.

Then, we have Gibby. Oh, Gibby. You can't even describe him in one sentence. Overall, he's great. He's changed a lot over the years, once being the chubby target for all bullies. Now, he's buffed up a little, his voice is deeper, and he can defend himself. His relationship with you has also changed. You've once been a bully to him, but now you're a friend to him. A best friend. No more pushing and shoving. More like hugging. Nah. But he's called a few times, too. You were close to telling him where you were, but you knew he would tell, from past experiences. He sounded like he was crying when he said he missed you and needed you back home. That brought tears to your eyes. You'll always love Gibby.

But, he's not him.

Finally, there's Freddie, the nubby, geeky, tech-loving Freddie. He's always been the victim of your punches and kicks. (He was overall the only victim for both your physical and verbal abuse). That's why you started off hating each other. You never really knew why you "hated" him, but about three years later, you knew why.

And it was the only thing you thought about.

You thought you would be laughing at him as he was moaning in pain. But you did the total opposite. You stared. You stared at him. There was something about the way he held his ear as blood rushed out of it. The way his eyebrows scrunched together. The way his muscles flexed as he grabbed the side of his face. You couldn't believe it. He looked somewhat..._attractive_.

Wait, _WHAT_?

Or, _cute_. Yep, cute was definitely the word. Freddie Benson was _cute_ in Sam Puckett's eyes. Wow. No one ever saw that coming. But what came seven months later was totally unexpected.

You kissed him. You couldn't take it anymore. The feelings inside you were about to overflow, so you had to let them out. You thought it was a bad idea, so you bolted from that scene. But it wasn't. He found you, kissed you, and proved he liked you. Then, you started dating. It was rough and great at the same time. But all great things must come to an end, so it ended. In his room. With clothes on the floor. Yada, yada, yada.

You cry every once in a while when you think about it. It was so upsetting and beautiful and perfect. You were both devastated when the clock struck midnight, but you both knew it had to happen. You still love him to this day, but he obviously moved back on to your best friend, asking her, "Is it too late for you to love me?" That broke your heart.

So, yeah. Freddie's him.

Okay, now back to the real world, where Freddie isn't involved. You now live in LA with Cat Valentine, your new best friend. (And no, she does _not_ replace Carly. She can't.) You both get paid for babysitting the little brats that live in the same apartment as you. There's only one cool kid. Dice. He sits you down once every two weeks to cut a small piece of your hair off, only to sell it for fifty bucks. The bags go pretty fast, actually.

Now you're sitting on the couch while Cat is taking a shower. Dice is supposed to come over. You're watching old reruns of Girly Cow. You get a weird feeling in your stomach. You think of Carly. Okay, time to switch this. You flip to another channel, this one showing an MMA fight. Ooh, Mama likes this show.

Just as your favorite fighter scores a knockout, the redhead emerges from the bathroom, ringing her hair out with a towel. "Hey, Sam. Dice here yet?" she asks in that high-pitched voice of hers.

"Nope," you shrug. "He should be here soon, though."

Your voice sounds dull, and she notices. She sits down beside you on the couch and studies your face. "You're thinking about Freddie, aren't you?" she says quietly.

You feel your cheeks start to get hot, so you can't deny it. "Yeah," you admit. "But if you tell anyone about it, I'll break your nose."

"No! Not my nose!" she shrieks, scooting away from you.

You roll your eyes. "Don't worry, Cat. I won't. I just don't want people to know how much I miss him." Your voice starts to falter as tears threaten to fall down your face. "I'm afraid he forgot about me. He probably never thinks about me."

Cat's face softens as she looks at you. "Aw, Sam. Don't say that. I may be dumb, but one thing I do know is that Freddie cares about you. He would never forget you, just like you would never forget him." Her voice is so full of sincerity, something you've never really heard.

You give her a warm smile, which she happily returns. "Thanks, Cat."

She focuses her attention on the TV, and you do the same. One of the wrestlers on the screen gets punched and thrown to the ground. Cat turns to you, a look of horror on her face. "How do you watch this stuff?"

A chuckle escapes your lips. "I don't know," you say. "I just find it entertaining. Once you get into it, it's pretty cool."

Before she gets a chance to retaliate, Dice bursts through the door. "Sam!" he exclaims. "Guess what? A person who wants to buy your hair is coming here to LA to meet you! Is it okay if I said he could?"

You turn to face him. He looks so excited. It would kill him if you disagreed with what he said, so you decide not to kill him. "Not at all, Dice," you say, watching a smile appear on his face. "Who is this guy?"

He pauses for a second. "Oh, he said his name was...Frank, I think," he says, deep in thought. "He made sure I told him exactly where you were so he could meet you. He must be a big fan."

A sudden rush of coolness runs up your spine. "Wow. That's creepy," you reply with raised eyebrows. "Dice, you sure this guy is not a stalker?"

"Hey, all I'm doing is making money," he defends. "But I'm pretty sure he's not."

"Whatever." You sit back onto the couch, letting your body relax. All this thinking about Freddie makes you tense.

You must have fallen asleep, because Dice is shaking you awake about an hour later. You force your eyes open. "What is it, Dice?"

You've never seen the fourteen-year-old so jumpy. He practically vibrates with excitement. "That customer, Frank, is outside! He's coming to see you! Make yourself look presentable!" He is out of breath, which makes you laugh.

You put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, kid," you assure him. "I'm not looking to impress anybody. But, tell this guy to come in. It should be an honor to meet me, anyway."

He starts to laugh. That always satisfies you. In the midst of that, the doorbell rings, and he goes even more insane than he was before. "Okay! Be cool, guys!" he says. "Be cool!"

Cat gives you a look from her place on the couch, and you just shrug. You'll both try to 'be cool' for Dice. He opens the door, and you expect to see a crazy fan with an iCarly T-shirt, a replica of your remote, and either a Seddie or Creddie sign.

But you see none of that. None of it. Blue eyes meet brown.

_How the hell did he find me?_

You hear a faint "Oh my God" from the girl behind you, and the boy beside you has gone silent. You don't care though, because your eyes have been locked with Freddie Benson's for the past thirty seconds.

You ask yourself that question again. _How the hell did he find me?_ But then you realize it. You know Dice found some way to advertise his hair-selling online, and there's a list of the celebrities he sells. Freddie must have found it while he was searching for you, so he probably tricked Dice into thinking he was 'Frank' and asked to meet you.

That sneaky little nub.

"Hey, Sam," he says suddenly, in that beautiful vo - Not the main focus here, Puckett. He steps into the apartment, and Dice closes the door behind him.

"Sup, Benson?" you ask in your usual tone of voice. You try so hard not to jump full force towards him, wrap your arms and legs around his body, and kiss him until you both can't breathe.

You feel Cat's eyes on you, but you don't turn your head. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Dice grab his backpack and slip out the door. Freddie bites his lip, and you almost melt to the ground. Why does he have to do that to you? Cat finally rises from her seat. "Um, I'll be in my room," she announces before hurrying in the direction of her bedroom.

Suddenly, a strange feeling of awkwardness seems to hover over the both of you. He takes another small step towards you. Now, you can feel his breath on your face. You haven't been this close to any male in a long time. Actually, he was the only male you've ever been this close to. Before you know it, he is hugging you, and you are hugging him. He smells like that cologne you've always loved, especially back when you were dating. But you'll _never_ tell him that you smell the sweatshirt he gave you _daily_ because of it.

A few minutes pass, so you decide to finally break the hug. He lets his arms slide off your body instead of dropping them after release. Not that that's a problem, of course. A spike of heat runs up your spine as he motions for you to sit down. As you do so, you wonder, _Why does he make me like this?_

He breaks you out of your thoughts when he says, "Are you gonna explain this to me now, or later?" He's so serious, and you know what he wants you to say. You say it. "I guess now."

He folds his hands together and sits back in his seat. You take a deep breath. You just want to get it out and not have to repeat yourself. "Basically," you explain, "I live here. After Carly left, I felt Seattle wasn't the same. So, I hopped on my motorcycle and made my way down here. I saved Cat from getting crushed by a garbage truck, so here I am." You wait for a reply from him, which slowly comes.

"How wasn't Seattle the same?" he asks softly. He's looking down at his lap, obviously nervous to meet your eyes.

A sigh escapes your lips. "My best friend moved away, Freddie." You silently applaud yourself for that answer. Short, sweet, and to the point.

His eyes still avoid yours. "I know that, Sam. But you couldn't have at least called?"

Guilt automatically falls over you. Yeah, you wanted to keep your location a secret, but calling him and telling him you were okay would have been the same thing. Nice move, Puckett. You decide not to speak, so he does.

"We miss you, Sam!" he exclaims, startling you a bit. "We've been trying to contact your mom, but she's just threatening to kill us if we ask again!"

"Wait, who's 'we'?" you ask, thinking of the possible names.

He runs a hand through his hair, giving you a look. "The usual. Me, Spencer, Gibby, T-Bo, my mom, Wend-"

"Your mom?" you cut him off, almost falling out of your seat.

He nods slowly, showing a small smile from your reaction. "Yeah, I know it's hard to believe, but, yes," he says. "She misses you."

"Yeah, okay," you scoff, rolling your eyes. "How do you expect me to believe that?"

"By reading this." He pulls out a white envelope and hands it to you. You start to open it but his voice stops you. "Just for the record, I have no idea what she wrote. She doesn't want you to tell me, either." You resume opening the perfectly, un-ripped envelope. Not for long. You practically destroy it. A neatly folded piece of paper falls out. Here we go. Your mouth drops as you read it, which is very unexpected.

Dear Samantha,

Where are you? You've been gone for over a year, and everyone has been looking frantically for you! Why must you scare us like that? Even I have been on the edge! I even stopped my daily cleaning routine to look for you! Spencer and Gibby are much sadder than they have ever been. And my Freddie...well, he doesn't know what to do anymore. He misses you so much, Sam. And I do too. Yes, that may be hard to believe, but I do. So when Freddie found your location, I wrote this. Please don't show him. He'll kill me if he finds out I told you that he loves you. Oh my gosh. He's going to hate me, but who cares? Did I just say that? Anyway, Samantha, he does. Please consider coming back to Seattle. I just want my Freddiebear to be happy. And it seems to me that you being with him will do just that.

Love,

Mrs. Benson

Your eyes find their way to his. "Wow," you manage to say. "I guess she really meant it."

He smiles, shaking his head. "Well, whatever it is she wrote in that thing, I hope the words 'juvenile delinquent' had no appearance," he laughs, and you join in. For both you and him, the sound of the two of you laughing together is amazing. It hasn't been done in a while.

You stare at him, and he stares at you. Silence falls over the room, and nothing can be heard except the ticking of the clock on the wall. This moment reminds you of a time back when you were dating this nub. The laughing, and then the silence.

_It was the night of the iCarly Carly had to do with Gibby by herself. Or, in other words, announced her name and then signed off. That was also the night you and Freddie were late yet again, causing Carly to reveal the secret of Gibby telling his mother about your relationship, which ended with Spencer in pain for the night, and a certain conversation to occur that neither of you knew about. That's why you were out on the fire escape, since Carly kicked you out of her house. _

_Earlier that day, it rained, but now the sun was peeking out of the clouds before it was scheduled to set over the horizon. You and Freddie did this a lot. You hung out and watched the sunset. It was always nice. _

_He was sitting in a lawn chair, and you were sitting on his lap, with your arms wrapped around each other. "Today was interesting, wasn't it?" he asked with a slight chuckle. _

_"Yes. Very," you replied, resting your head on his shoulder. _

_"So, what do you think about how Carly reacted to our question?" _

_The way he asked that so casually surprised you. "Well, I don't know. I saw the way she hesitated before she answered."_

_He shrugged against you. "I think she is."_

_"Me too," you said. "I always knew she still had feelings for you."_

_"Walt, you think she still has feelings for me?" he asked, positioning himself so he could see your face. _

_"Well, yeah... Isn't that why you think she's jealous?" Now he was confusing you. _

_He shook his head. "No," he began. "I think she's just jealous of _us_."_

_"What do you mean, _of us_?"_

_"Well, Carly hasn't had a boyfriend in a while, so I just think she misses being able to hang out with someone all the time, like me and you are. So, I think she's jealous of us, or...what we have."_

_Realization sinks in over you. "Oh, I get it. I guess that's why."_

_He studied your face, eyeing you oddly. "Okay, baby," he said, nudging you. "What's wrong?"_

_You didn't even realize that you were frowning a little. "It's nothing," you said quickly, hoping he would just brush it off. _

_No such luck. _

_"Oh, come on, Sam," he urged. "I know you. What's up?"_

_You decided you would just come right out and say it. "I was scared Carly still had feelings for you!"_

_A look of confusion came over his face. "What?" he exclaimed. _

_"You heard me," you snapped. He looked hurt, so you immediately felt bad. "Look, I'm sorry," you explained. "But, I was scared."_

_He rubbed your arms. "But...why?" he said softly. His eyes looked worried. _

_"I was scared because...I thought you would fall back in love with her." You said it so softly, barely even a whisper, but he heard you. _

_"I wouldn't, baby," he told you. "I'm dating you, remember?"_

_You forced a small smile. "But, you've always been in love with her. I was just...that girl who used to bully you." Your voice was starting to falter from the tears that were threatening to spill over your eyelids. _

_He used his thumb to wipe a stray tear that gently fell from your eye. "Sam," he began. "Carly is like my sister. And, I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm like her brother. I'm in an awesome relationship with you right now, so she's not even on my mind." He pressed his lips against yours briefly. "And, between you and me," he said softly, looking around, "Carly is a little too...dramatic for me."_

_The two of you burst into laughter, not even knowing what he just said. Suddenly, it died down and your eyes locked. You just stared at each other. He moved his hand to the side of your face, rubbing your cheek with his thumb. He leaned in and gave you a soft kiss, which you happily returned. _

_Later that night, you were both sleeping on that lawn chair, wrapped in each other's arms. _

Okay, back to reality. You and Freddie are still staring at each other. Upon thinking of that beautiful memory, you decide to do what he did.

Kiss him.

_Ohhh yeahhh_.

It is so nice and sweet and so wonderfully perfect. He obviously kisses you back, bringing his hands around your back. Yours wrap around his neck. The sound of your lips smacking together and pulling apart drives you both further and further into madness. Suddenly, a feeling of suffocation emerges, causing you to break the kiss. He leans his forehead on yours.

"I missed you," he whispers.

"I missed you, too," you whisper back. He swoops in and captures your lips in another heated kiss.

You find your way into his lap, then you are under him on the couch. Let's just say, this is round two of the night you broke up.

The next morning, you awake in his arms, barely clothed, with Cat grinning above you. "Well, I see you two had fun," she giggled.

"Don't tell Dice," you hiss. "He will never look at me the same way ever again. He's not even supposed to _know_ about this stuff."

She giggles again. "I won't. It was _so_ gross!" She skips into the kitchen, out of earshot.

You turn yourself over so you can see Freddie's face. He strokes your hair with his fingers. "That was _great_, Sam."

"It was," you agree.

He suddenly sighs. "Would you ever consider coming back to Seattle with me?"

You freeze in your spot and your breath hitches in your throat. "Um, I-I don't know," you stutter. "I mean, I live here with Cat now, and Dice is practically my brother."

"Sam, Seattle is your home," he reminds you.

"I know. I miss it. But, I can't leave Cat." You turn your head in the direction of the kitchen to glance at the redhead, but she isn't there. Neither of you noticed that she had made her way to the chair beside the couch.

She was looking at you with her big eyes. "Go back to Seattle, Sam. Freddie's right. It is your home." She pauses for a moment. "I'll be fine. I'll have some bibble."

You see tears in her eyes, which makes some form in yours, too. An idea pops into your head. "Come with us."

She looks taken aback. "What?"

"Come with us." You're very serious.

"Oh, no," she says. "I can't leave LA."

"Please? You just graduated Hollywood Arts, and I have to graduate Ridgeway in two weeks."

"B-but... I don't know! What about Dice?"

"Doesn't he have an aunt in Seattle?" you ask, and she nods. "Then he can visit!"

"Our business!"

"Who cares? We made enough money to live on, and we can continue in Seattle!"

"Yeah, come on, Cat!" Freddie urges her.

"But my Nona!" she exclaims.

As if right on cue, Nona burst through the door. "Don't mind my eavesdropping, but Cat, go to Seattle! I'll be fine!"

"_What_? Are you sure?" Cat asks her.

Nona nods her head. "Yes, go! There's a lot of adventures waiting! Especially with _Sam_, here."

You give Nona a high-five, and you all look at Cat. She is shaking in her seat, but she finally puts a smile on her face. "Okay! I'll go!"

Later that night, Dice and Nona are standing beside your motorcycle as the three of you prepare to leave. Freddie is taking a bus, while you and Cat are taking your motorcycle.

"I'll miss you guys," Dice says, giving all of you a hug. Nona kisses Cat goodbye.

Dice pulls Freddie aside. "Watch yourself," you hear him tell your boyfriend. "She's a little wild."

Freddie winks at you. "Don't worry. I will."

He walks over to you and gives you a long kiss. "You're finally coming back home," he says when you part.

The bus arrives at the stop. He gives you one last kiss and says goodbye. The bus leaves in a cloud of dust as you and Cat hop on the bike. "Let's hit the road," you say.

Giving one last wave to Dice and Nona, you and Cat ride into the darkness.

The next day, you're back in Seattle. You exhaustively ride the elevator to the eighth floor of Bushwell Plaza. Freddie texted you an hour ago saying he would be home by noon. Cat seems nervous. "Will they like me?" she asks.

"Of course," you say, punching her arm lightly.

The door opens, and you both see the Shay living room. You step out, looking towards the kitchen, where Spencer and Gibby are sitting with smiles on their faces. Cat, who turned the other way, nudges you. You turn around, only to see a brunette girl sitting on the couch.

"Carly!" you yell, jumping on top of her.

"Sam!"

When Freddie got home, all of you formed a group hug. It was half reunion, half welcome. Cat felt at home, and she showed this by smiling the entire night.

Everything was great. You were dating the nub again, your best friend returned from Italy, and your other best friend came to Seattle. Little did you all know, though, was that a situation like the previous one would occur in another year, with a curly-haired boy with glasses and puppet coming to search for his beloved redhead.

**So, did you guys like it? And, did anyone notice the Cabbie reference at the end? Haha. Review please! And I promise more chapters for Nothing Better Than This will be up soon!**


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